"Completely False": Piyush Goyal On Report India Rejected Quick US Trade Deal

Union Minister Piyush Goyal today termed as "completely false, baseless and misleading" a report by news agency Reuters that said India had rejected a quick trade agreement with the US in recent negotiations.

The Union Commerce Minister's post on X refuting the report came hours after the commerce secretary Rajesh Agrawal announced that India and the US have finalised the framework for a proposed bilateral trade agreement, with the pact set to be signed when both sides consider the timing appropriate.

The Reuters report had said India "is holding out for a better deal."

Goyal in the post on X said he had "fantastic meetings with USTR Jamieson Greer when he visited Delhi in June."

"Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to an agreement that is balanced, commercially meaningful, and delivers tangible benefits for businesses, farmers, workers, and consumers in both countries. Our teams remain fully engaged in achieving this objective," the Union minister said.

This news is completely false, baseless and misleading.

I had fantastic meetings with USTR Jamieson Greer, @USTradeRep, when he visited Delhi in June. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to an agreement that is balanced, commercially meaningful, and delivers tangible… https://t.co/0JZOULEL6i

— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) July 13, 2026

The bilateral trade agreement talks have entered the final stage, with most key issues having been sorted out and both sides working towards a deal that gives New Delhi an advantage over its competitors, Goyal had said earlier this month.

He pointed out there was no indication about any major hurdles in finalising the trade deal despite recent legal and policy developments in Washington.

The same was indicated last month by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, who announced the proposed India-US trade agreement was in its "last one or two per cent".

The commerce secretary, earlier today, also announced that talks are progressing in the right direction. "We don't see any challenge in negotiations, and consultations are progressing in the right direction. Both sides remain positive. The India-US framework trade deal is ready for signing at an appropriate time. Trade ties between the two nations continue to strengthen, including energy imports from the US," Rajesh Agrawal said.

On the matter of tariffs, the US is expected to decide its course after July 24, when the current 10 per cent tariff regime is due to expire. Agrawal said the decision on future tariff measures rests entirely with the US administration.